====Internet Access Proxy====

Most web-based AI providers (ie. Anthropic, Microsoft etc.) have strict rules about their [[welcome|MCP sources]]. These rules include the fact that the service **must be SSL/TLS secured** and **must be on the standard port (443)**.

If you are running your MCP server on a different machine to your ARDI server, this may be simple.

However, if you're running the MCP server **on** your ARDI server (a common scenario), you might need to set up a //proxy//, because the ARDI server is already using port 443 for your ARDI web interface.

In this case, the MCP server will run on a port of your choosing (ie. 8000) and your web-server will act as a go-between, allowing users to connect to MCP via your existing ARDI system.

===Setup Proxy===

Open your Apache site configuration. On Linux, it will be found at **/etc/apache2/sites-enabled/ardi.conf** and on Windows at **<installfolder>/apache2/conf/extra/vhosts.conf**.

Under your SSL host details, write the following...

<code>
ProxyPass /mcp http://localhost:<port>/mcp
ProxyPassReverse /mcp http://localhost:<port>/mcp
</code> 

...substituting the port number your MCP server is running on under 'Port'.

===Enable Modules===

Next you'll need to enable the proxy modules. 

On Linux, this is done with the following command...

<code>
a2enmod proxy_http
</code>

On Windows, this is done by opening the file **<installfolder>/apache2/conf/htttpd.conf** and searching for 'proxy'. Find the commented-out module import commands for 'proxy' and 'proxy_http'. Remove the comments and save the file.

===Restart the Server===

Finally, restart your server.

On Linux, this is done with...

<code>
sudo service apache2 restart
</code>

On Windows, open the Start Menu, type **Services**, and click on the Services app. Find and restart the 'Apache 2' service. 

===Test===

You should now be able to access your MCP data at <hostname>/mcp.